Whiney Day at the River

[Gunsey'sMom]

Today we took Gunner to the river! A day of fun- right? Well I started out swimming with him and it was fun and then the men ( and boys) went fishing while I watched Gunner and played with him. Gunner continually watched after them and whined when I guess he felt like they were too far out ? I have never experienced this behavoir with him. He barked a few times but mostly whined and seemed concerned ( I know this is attributing an emotion to him , but I dont know how to describe it)

What do yo uthink this behavior is ? Do you think he was showing concern? was he out of order? how should I have handled this? I tried to distract him. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Cdn1050]

Not sure, my 8 month old puppy started doing this a couple of days ago. I've noticed she does it when she thinks I'm going somewhere (car ride) or doing something fun that she's not involved in. If the guys were out there laughing, yelling and having a good ole time fishing, maybe Gunner thought they were having too much fun and he wasn't invited.

[debbiej]

Well, his people were doing something very foreign and strange in his eyes, he probably was uneasy. When we took Boris and Hilda to a lake on a sailing trip, they behaved very differently. Boris went sort of crazy trying to bite the waves, I had to crate him to settle him down, he was beyond listening. Hilda was fine, even with some of us getting on the boat and sailing away. Now the wind was too high later in the day, and the boat started taking on water. we were yelling, taking pictures and running around. then she got excited too, and she tried to go out to the boat. they got to shore, but it was sinking, and they were walking. I think Gunner would get used to them being out of his "reach" and calm down eventually. Telling him "enough" and making him lay down next to you and settle would help. As everyone always says, and I'm sure you didn't, no reassuring or sympathy for his concern.

fishing, lucky!!

[Gunsey'sMom]

I kept on telling him "Quit". And it did seem like he was beyond listening as well, wich was really frustrating! So then I really didnt know what I should have done. Repeat myself- and make my commands useless?

There was also a time when a small boat went by ( I had no idea that the river was even deep enough for a boat) and he barked at it several times, at wich point I tiold him quit as well, I then followed through again with a correction to wich he did listen and stopped. Its like no matter what I tried to do to distract him from what the boys were doing he couldnt be distracted and would not listen.

We have also taken him swimming in a smaller river/creek that has actually had more people- that he was not familiar with around him with the kids and one of their (hyperactive) friends and he was fine! Which is why I am so confused.

Things in the last trip that I believe would have made it even more difficult for him: more people around, another dog was actually there as well ( off lead at that!) some people that he did not know, and it was his first time swimming.

Things that were diffrerent this trip: it was a much bigger expanse of water, he is older now- maybe that contributed?, we brought fishing poles?, the river bank was steeper so maybe the land appeared more inaccessable, the whole family in general was not in as a close of a proximity as we were before all the time, and the small boat with the motor ( he was already acting whiney before the boat ever came along though)

I am trying to figure out what the root of this behaiour is and what I can do about it, thanks for you input!